Echoes in Our Minds
by Shadowgeist1204
Summary: Echoing Shadow is back, now to meet up with the Pillars of Equestria and the Changeling Kingdom, as the Bat Princess. But why's Thorax's brother Pharynx suddenly acting strange when he's around Echo? Do we have a Changeling and Bat pony love story on our hooves?
1. Chapter 1

It's been a while since Echo had last seen her friends. Things have been relatively quiet since her coronation, with the other Bat ponies helping her out in the Palace. The small kingdom has slowly started to grow again, rebuilding houses in the trees of the forest. Though currently, most of the kingdom's ponies are newborns and young foals. But with the adults helping out the Princess, things have been looking up. Until about three days ago.

Echo soared over the treetops of the Everfree Forest. She managed to make a critical discovery concerning the crown jewels of the Bat ponies, even bigger than finding the Palace itself. She had also gotten a message from Princess Celestia and Luna that she was to be in Canterlot at once. She was hoping for an explanation about the weird black clouds that have been covering the Bat Kingdom for most of two days. They had frightened all of the small kingdom, and everypony was still uneasy about it even after the clouds dispersed. Echo shivered at the bad feel of those clouds when she touched them, but was glad that Canterlot wasn't far away.

However, right when the castle was in sight, somepony else crashed into her.

"Pharynx, I told you to be careful where you're flying!"

The Bat Princess groaned as she opened her eyes to see a dark teal Changeling on the ground near where she was. He had bright purple eyes and wing-cases, combined with red horns, armor and wings. Alongside him was an orange-horned Changeling that was more chartreuse and had green armor, though his purple eyes and wing-cases were darker and more red, and his wings were a lighter purple. They both seemed much taller than Dragonfly, Damselfly, and Crane Fly, though the teal one was slightly shorter than the other.

"I'm so sorry for my brother flying into you like that," the taller one apologized as he walked over to Echo. "He's almost never been out of the Hive, and normally doesn't watch out for other ponies."

"It's okay," Echo waved off as she stood. "I probably should've been looking where I was flying, too. I'm Princess Echoing Shadow, but you can call me Echo."

The teal Changeling looked shocked. "So you must be the one the whippersnappers in the hatchery were buzzing about. I thought they said you were a normal unicorn, not a Bat alicorn."

"It's a long story," Echo winced. "Masking spell from my mom, in short.

The Changeling nodded in understanding as he stood up. "But anyways, I'm Pharynx, this is my brother Thorax. Uh, my bad for crashing into you," he added when Thorax gave him a look, his wing-like tail between his legs.

"Ah, the king of the Changelings and his brother," Echo realized. "I didn't know you had a brother. But I'm guessing you had black clouds for two days, and now you're going to Canterlot for an explanation along with a message to go there?"

"Uh… Exactly," Pharynx nodded as he approached the Bat Princess, though the red hint of a blush was forming across his muzzle. "The little ones were pretty scared of the vibe those things let off. Actually, everyone got the creeps from 'em."

"I can understand that," Echo sighed. "Everypony in my kingdom was still on edge even _after_ the clouds had dispersed. They've all been demanding an explanation, and I can't provide them with one until I see what I've been called to Canterlot about."

"Why don't we go there together?" Thorax suggested. "Our friends are probably also in Canterlot, and we'll need somepony to help us past the guards."

Echo nodded in understanding. "I see where that could be an issue, since three Changelings I know had the same problem. I can help you with that. How about you both disguise yourselves as Bat pony guards? The guards at the gate would let you in easily if you look like two guards from the Bat Palace."

"Sounds good to me," Thorax nodded. "Dragonfly showed us what Bat pony guards look like, so it'll be easy." In a brief flash of green, Thorax turned into a normal-looking Bat guard, armor and all. Pharynx followed after, doing the same.

"Perfect," Echo approved. "The guards won't suspect a thing. Let's get going, then." With that, Echo turned and took to the sky towards Canterlot again, with the disguised Changeling King and Head of Patrol following after her.


	2. Chapter 2

Echo's idea worked perfectly. When she and the disguised Changelings flew to the castle gates, the guards immediately let them in.

"Like I said, they didn't bat an eye," Echo reassured them as they landed inside. "You two can change back now."

Thorax and Pharynx nodded and changed back to their normal forms. The three went to the throne room, Echo leading the way. When they reached the throne room, they saw the Princesses, the Mane Six, Spike, Starlight, an orange unicorn, and six unfamiliar ponies.

They grey bearded unicorn's eyes widened upon seeing the Bat Princess as they locked eyes.

"Twilit?" the blue-robed stranger asked. "Is that you?" His eyes narrowed at seeing her marred coat as he muttered, "No, it's been a thousand years since we left. And Twilit never allowed anyone to scar her coat."

"Echo, how lovely that you came," Luna greeted the Bat pony. "Starswirl, this is Twilit's descendant, Princess Echoing Shadow. Though she prefers to be called Echo."

"And who might your friends be?" Echo asked.

"These are my own companions," Starswirl gestured. "Stygian, Mistmane, Mage Meadowbrook, Rockhoof, Flash Magnus, and Somnambula. I am Starswirl the Bearded; we are the Pillars of Old Equestria. According to these young mares, we were the original Elements of Harmony, besides Stygian. We've been sealed away in a timeless dimensional gap, Limbo, for a thousand years."

"We didn't understand Stygian wanted to join us in battle back then," Mistmane explained. "So we instead cast him out, causing him to turn to darkness. But now we understand the truth."

"If you'd understood sooner, a lot of things wouldn't have happened," Stygian murmured. "Namely, me becoming the Pony of Shadows."

"Well, Stygian," Echo turned to the colt, "if there's one thing that Starlight, Trixie, Discord, and the Changelings know, it's redemption. At least now Thorax, Pharynx, and I know the source of those clouds. But everypony, I have done some research on the Bat ponies' crown jewels, and you'll be surprised. The jewels are actually created from the Tree of Harmony."

"What?!" Twilight and the orange unicorn shrieked.

"How?!" the Princess of Friendship demanded. "Last I checked that shouldn't be possible!"

"There simply _shouldn't_ be a seventh Element!" the orange unicorn shouted.

"Sunburst, Twilight, calm down," Starlight spoke up. "Echo, there are only six Elements of Harmony. A seventh Element just isn't possible."

"But it is," Echo stated firmly. "There was supposed to be a seventh Element to portray their true might, grown in a sort of fruit on the Tree of Harmony. But it was taken away by the usurper who wished to rule the Bat ponies. When my ancestor, Queen Twilit, took back the jewels, she awakened their power and did away with the usurper. The jewels themselves already had the protection spell on them."

"So what concept does it represent?" Rainbow asked.

Echo hummed. "My guess would be the Element of Freedom. After all, think about it. Honesty, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Loyalty, and even Magic; you can't have any of that without the Freedom to do so. I and a huge group of orphans know; we've survived the Nightmare Orphanage and its demon-owners-masquerading-as-Pegasi. You'll know everypony who's been there from our scars."

"Oh, what a horrifying thought," Somnambula gasped. "In all these centuries, we never dreamed that there would be such a place in our absence."

"And I don't think any amount of healing would be able to mend those kinds of wounds," Meadowbrook cringed, seeing Echo's nasty assortment of scars.

"I've never seen anypony like you two before," Rockhoof mused, looking at the Changelings.

"Well I'm Thorax, king of the Changelings," the taller of the two grinned. "This is my younger brother, Pharynx."

"Uh, nice to meet you," the shorter Changeling nodded politely at the tall Earth pony.

"We had a bit of a run-in with each other on the flight here," Echo explained, walking between the enormous stallion and the teal-skinned Changeling, brushing their wings against each other in the process. Pharynx shivered at the sensation as another blush spread across his face. "But neither of us were watching for anypony else, so it's kinda more of a crash-in. It's not like it was intended or anything." She turned to the brothers. "Besides, I've met Dragonfly, Damselfly, and Crane Fly; they're pretty sweet little Changelings."

"And they're also the fastest fliers in their entire brood," Thorax added proudly before turning to the Pillars. "If you guys ever want to pay the Changeling Hive a visit, our doors are always open."

"And I'm guessing the Bat Palace will be the same way?" Pharynx asked Echo.

The Bat alicorn nodded. "Of course. You can come by anytime. But for now, I'm sure you all want to see where you all once lived before you were trapped in Limbo for a millennium."

"That we do," Magnus agreed. "And we'd be glad to pay a visit every once in awhile."

"Equestria has gone on without all of us," Starswirl added. "And we wish to see how much has changed."


	3. Chapter 3

"So how are things with your kingdom, Echo?" Luna asked after the Pillars left with Twilight and her friends.

"Things are doing just fine, Luna," the Bat Princess smiled. "Some of the little ones can be rambunctious at times, but I and the other Bat ponies can handle the occasional accidental bite or wing scratch. I visit my orphan friends whenever I can, and those who've been adopted are doing well, also."

"That's always good to hear," Celestia approved. "I'm impressed that you had Thorax and Pharynx disguise themselves as guards to get past the gates. I wouldn't be surprised if the two at the gates wouldn't let you pass otherwise. Some things can be much harder to change than others."

"At least we didn't have to deal with getting blocked out like the young ones who came here," Thorax added.

"If they did, I would've easily gotten us past them," Pharynx bragged. "I was the best warrior in Chrysalis' army in the old days. And I've still got enough punch to knock 'em away if they try anything!"

Echo's spiked ear twitched upon hearing the name of the former Changeling queen, with her leathery wings going stiff.

"I don't think bringing that up is a good idea," Luna warned, frowning.

Echo's ears tilted back slightly. "We've had some bad experience with Chrysalis in the past. Mostly being how she kidnapped Twilight and me, and how she's the reason my mother's no longer of this world."

Pharynx's eyes widened, realizing he was on thin ice with the Bat Princess. "Well, I - I, um… I'm just saying... I'd still be able to keep the guards off our necks if they tried to keep us out. Yeah, that's it."

Thorax tilted his head in confusion before realizing his secret opportunity. "Sure," he teased, "the shorter big brother fighting off things his taller little brother could handle just as easily."

The teal Changeling glared at Thorax with his tongue out, blowing raspberries at him. "I'd do more than that if we weren't around the princesses," he growled.

Echo couldn't help but laugh at the two, flashing her vampiric fangs. "You two are quite funny. Reminds me of Dragonfly and Damselfly and their little bantering."

Pharynx smiled shyly at the Bat alicorn, feeling the warmth crawl up his face again. He shook his head around until it was gone. "Shoo fly," he said briefly as Echo giggled again.

Celestia chuckled. "You know, Twilight and her friends will be going to the Crystal Empire next week. I think you three should go with them to see Princess Cadence, Shining Armor, and their daughter Flurry Heart. I'm sure they'll enjoy meeting you."

"I sure hope so," Echo agreed. "I'd love to see the Empire." Pharynx nodded rapidly in agreement.

Thorax watched his brother closely. _Does my big brother have a crush?_

* * *

The next day at the Changeling Hive, Pharynx secretly slipped into the room of the Feelings Forum. He covered his face as he went inside the curtained room, making sure none of the other Changelings noticed him. _Why did my brother think sending me here was a good idea?_ He asked himself as he began to feel clammy. _I don't even like being in this weird Feelings Forum. It's not my fault that I've been having a hard time concentrating on drills since yesterday. It's just… Echo's so pretty with those captivating, bright, pearly lilac eyes… And she's so amazing as the Bat Princess. Those jewels she wears are beautiful enough to make anyone not notice her coat and… Wait!_ He shook his head wildly. _Focus, Pharynx! Thinking about her like this is the reason I'm stuck in here!_

"And what brings you here, Pharynx?" a voice asked cordially.

Pharynx jumped at hearing his name. Morpho, - the blue-skinned, orange-eyed current hostess of the Forum - along with everypony else in the room, was staring at him.

"Is there anything you wish to discuss?" Morpho asked. "Speak freely, good friend. The Feelings Forum is free of judgement."

"Well… uh…" _How do I explain this without giving myself away?_ "I've been kinda curious about something. Somepony I know has been… distracted by a mare he likes. He's thinking about her all the time, from what I know. I'm not sure what's going on. You have any idea?" He was sweating from being so nervous, hoping he didn't give himself away.

Morpho gave him a knowing smile and replied, "It sounds like this somepony you know is in love with the mare by whom he is distracted. We Changelings are new to such a feeling as this, so it shouldn't be surprising that you were unsure of what was happening."

"Do you know who he's in love with?" asked one of the other Changelings in the Forum.

Pharynx nervously shuffled his hoof against the ground. "I might have some idea of it. But thank you for the explanation," he thanked Morpho hastily before slipping out of the room. Once out of the room, he quickly turned himself into a rock, hiding from the others as he slowly processed what the blue Changeling had said. _Is that really true? I'm… in_ love _with Echo?_ He buried his blushing face in his hooves under the disguise. _Just great! And Thorax and I'll be going to the Crystal Empire with her and the others next week! How do I deal with_ this _?_


	4. Chapter 4

The week went by quicker than Echo thought it would. She was all set for the train ride to the Crystal Empire. She had left the little ones with her adult subjects, who assured her that they could take care of the kingdom while she was gone. She went to the Ponyville Train Station, where she remembered coming in with Hemlock Berry and Silent Sound.

Everypony else was there waiting for her, Thorax, and Pharynx. Starlight looked really eager to see her best friend again. Twilight was ecstatic to see her niece again, along with her brother and sister-in-law. Rarity was loving the idea of seeing the Crystal Ponies again. Spike was pretty boastful about how he saved the Crystal Empire, twice, though Echo was sure that was because of circumstance and not free-will. But Spike also wanted to see his old friend Thorax again, as Starlight was hoping to see how Pharynx has been doing.

Speaking of whom, Echo secretly also wanted to see Pharynx again. For previously being such a violent, short-tempered Changeling like what Starlight told her, Pharynx seemed to be adapting quite well to his new environment. She looked up to see the Changeling in question land alongside his brother. Thorax and Pharynx exchanged a few words with Spike and Twilight, the latter subtly waving his wing at Echo, who waved back. When it was time to leave, the group went into the train and headed off.

Pharynx's muzzle was the color of a pink poppy flower when he realized he and Echo were sitting together. Thorax seemed to be enjoying himself, chatting away with Spike during the ride. Everypony else was talking to pass the time; he and Echo were in the back corner. As the Bat pony was by the window looking outside, all Pharynx saw was a nasty-looking scar on her withers, peeking from under her long, midnight blue mane.

The Changeling cleared his throat. "So… that on your neck. How'd you get that?" He gingerly touched the scar to emphasize.

Echo grew tense and turned to look at the earnest curiosity in his eyes. "That came from when Crimson Ice and Velvet Tear were in an especially bad mood. I sang my usual song to the orphans when, out of nowhere, something sharp got into my shoulder, and something else got the back of my head before I could even scream. When I woke up, one of the little ones told me that Velvet threw her knife into my shoulder as Crimson threw a rock at my head to knock me out. It was easy enough for both wounds to heal, but the scar from the stab never left. It was less than a year before we decided to break out."

Pharynx listened to the indigo mare with keen interest. "I never thought there would be a place with ponies like that," he admitted once she concluded. "While we were growing up under Chrysalis, we were told that the Bat ponies were once a threat to the Hive, and that their loss of their queen and princess was a great victory for us. But ever since she was banished and Thorax took the reins, they tried to find a second opinion, while I was… preoccupied with something. Sure enough, when we were told about the Nightmare Orphanage and the little Changelings there, we found out there were real ponies much worse than Chrysalis' tall tales; and Bat ponies weren't at all what we were taught."

Echo hummed as she rested her head on her hoof. "I suppose there are a lot of things we can learn about each other."

The Changeling nodded as he slowly laid his wing across her shoulders the rest of the ride. When they reached the Crystal Empire among the frozen arctic, they all got off the train, Pharynx quickly tucking his wing back in before Echo saw it.

"It's wonderful to see you all again," a pink alicorn greeted the group alongside a white stallion with a baby carriage. "And who might these two be?"

"This is my older brother, Pharynx," Thorax gestured to the teal Changeling.

"And the other is Echoing Shadow, the Bat Princess," Twilight added.

"You can call me Echo," the dark-colored mare smiled.

"Nice to meet you, Echo," the alicorn replied. "You can call me Cadence, and this is my husband, Shining Armor, and our daughter, Flurry Heart."

Echo peered into the baby carriage to see the small, pink, infant alicorn with her large wings. Her big blue eyes were adorable, and she giggled at seeing the two new ponies.

"Aw, isn't she a cutie," Echo awed at the little princess, stroking the infant's forelock with her hoof.

"But she's also pretty powerful for her size," Twilight warned. "Come on, we can talk more in the castle."

"You guys can go ahead," Pharynx told them. "I'm going to take a look around."

Pharynx soared around the Crystal Empire, looking down at all the Crystal Ponies and guards. They seemed friendly and cheerful enough for ponies that were for the most part translucent. Their coats and manes came in all sorts of bright colors, and they all seemed to be immortal.

 _Echo would stick out in this place as much as I do back at the Hive,_ Pharynx realized. _Then again,_ _anypony with a dark coat would stick out in a place with all these bright-colored ponies. I guess that's one thing I have in common with her, and that Princess Luna. Of course, that doesn't make her any less beautiful with those pretty purple and blue colors. Hearing about her story… that's kinda frightening how she got stabbed like that. I thought all ponies were as bright and cheerful as their colors would make somepony believe. Well, I guess everypony can be proved wrong at some point._ He looked over at the huge crystal palace at the center of the kingdom. _I might as well see how Echo's doing in this place._

"That coat of yours looks like it went through a war," Shining Armor admitted, looking at Echo's scarred hide and scrawny frame.

Echo looked down at her hooves in embarrassment as Twilight slapped her brother's side with her wing.

"You don't need to point that out!" she scolded. "Echo's lived in the Nightmare Orphanage her whole life. There's no way she'd get rid of what she was put through."

"I thought the Nightmare Orphanage was an old mare's tale," Cadence mused.

"It's as real as real can get," Echo replied in a slightly chilling tone. "Velvet Tear and Crimson Ice hurt me and the other orphans every day and night. We couldn't leave, and we barely had a chance to eat. I had to get them food every night, and every night I was beaten for it. The night we decided to break free…" She trailed off, not wanting to say it while they were around Flurry and the guards.

"I see," Cadence frowned. "You must've been through a lot, Echo. I'm sure you and you're fellow orphans are really grateful that you're free now."

Echo looked up to meet the Crystal Princess' eyes, smiling softly. "That we are," she nodded slowly.

Flurry's nose began to twitch a little bit before she suddenly sneezed, sending a blast of gold magic from her horn. Echo ducked her head to dodge the beam.

Pharynx, who was almost at the castle, took a direct hit from the beam on his wing and spun out of control. He spiraled down to the ground, straight towards an oblivious Echo. The two suddenly crashed into each other as they were knocked unconscious.


	5. Chapter 5

Pain. That was all Pharynx could feel. Pain in his wing; pain in his back; and a horrible pounding headache. He struggled to drag himself out of the black void he was trapped inside. His eyes opened a crack, but all he could see was blobs of color. He blinked in an attempt to focus his vision, also trying extra hard to make out the faint, mumbling voices he was hearing.

"Poor Pharynx," the yellow-green blob moped. "His wing and wing-case sure didn't look too good after that fall."

Pharynx groaned. "What… my wing…?"

"You broke your wing and cracked your wing-case when you crashed into Echo," the same voice answered. Pharynx could now tell that it was Thorax as his vision cleared.

"We crashed?" Pharynx tried to recall what happened, only making his head hurt. "All I remember is that beam hitting my side. What about Echo? Is she alright?"

"The doctor said she badly sprained her wing and damaged her ankle," Twilight explained as Thorax put a towel-covered ice pack on the teal Changeling's forehead, easing the headache. "You both got a little scratched up, and a slight concussion when you crashed."

Pharynx looked down at his side to see his evidently cracked wing-case bandaged against his side, covering his broken wing. He caught a glance of Echo's violet coat in his peripheral vision. He turned his head to see the Bat Princess sleeping in the bed beside his, her wing wrapped up and tucked against _her_ side. She had a wet washcloth on her head, and the crown and leg-rings she usually wore were stacked on a side-table.

"We're so sorry about Flurry Heart," Cadence apologized. "She can't control her own power, so huge blasts can be let off just by sneezing. That's what hit you're wing, unfortunately."

"You both will have to stay here to recover from your injuries," Starlight notified. "The concussion definitely won't let you go anywhere anytime soon; you got it worse than Echo did."

Pharynx reclined into the bed, grimacing in disappointment. _She'll never like me now._

Thorax narrowed his eyes at seeing his brother's expression. "You can go meet up with your friends. I'll catch up with you."

The princesses and unicorn nodded in understanding before they left.

"You like Echo, don't you Pharynx?" Thorax stated once they were gone.

Pharynx's ear twitched and he met his brother's eyes. "I… guess I do a little," he replied. "But we are alike. We stick out because we're dark colors against all these pastel ponies. We both have seen things nopony else could dream of. And we've had to deal with some serious meanies in our lives."

Thorax smiled. "No wonder you've been so distracted and trying to impress her. I get it; Changelings are new to love, and you obviously have a thing for Echo. But don't think she'll throw you off because of an accident; she just doesn't seem to be like that. You two will have all the time you need while you get better." Thorax turned around and headed to the door. "I have to leave you alone so you can heal. I'll come back tomorrow morning; promise."

Pharynx nodded slowly as the taller Changeling disappeared behind the door. He looked over at the quiet, relaxed expression gracing the features of the Bat Princess. "You're really something else, Echo."

Echo's ear twitched in his direction. The Bat alicorn stirred in her bed with a slight yawn as she opened her eyes. She looked over at Pharynx with a kind smile and a softened look in her lavender eyes, dilated by the low light. "You're not so bad yourself, Pharynx," she murmured.

"You're up," the Changeling mused. "Echo, I'm… really sorry about crashing into you earlier. I was being stupid and didn't realize that beam of magic heading for me. I just wanted to catch up with you and my brother and everypony else. I should've made sure nothing would be coming towards me before flying over. Now thanks to me, you sprained your wing and hurt your ankle and even strained your back. Of course I got my own punishment with my broken wing, shattered wingcase, and also straining my back."

"Pharynx," Echo's soft voice silenced the other. "Slow down. I understand that you must feel guilty about crashing into me like that. But you don't really have to be, though. It was an accident; it happens to the best of us." She gave a yawn. "We should get some res; it's really late, according to the clock, and the crash-landing gave us both a rough day. I woke up a few hours ago before you did, and it was sundown."

Pharynx hummed, trusting the Bat pony's words as he could barely see the analog clock hanging above the door. "Not surprised you can see it, being a Bat pony. Goodnight," he whispered as he turned to face the ceiling, closing his eyes.

Echo nodded slowly, following suit. "Goodnight… Pharynx…"


	6. Chapter 6

"We told Princess Celestia and Princess Luna about the accident," Twilight told Echo and Pharynx the next day. "Luna volunteered to handle the Bat ponies for the time being until you're better, Echo."

"Beetle's taking care of the Changeling Kingdom, too," Thorax added. "Although I doubt he'll be able to keep some speedy siblings from rushing over to the Crystal Empire."

Echo chuckled, hiding the fact that she had a nightmare last night. "Knowing Dragonfly, Damselfly, and Crane Fly, anypony that can't keep up with them doesn't have a prayer. Though I hope Luna can break the news to Hemlock and Silent without Hemlock firing back with some sort of carnivorous plant. She's been doing awfully well with conjuring those."

"That's as true as true can get," Applejack agreed. "I still remember that little sprout's wily willow attack like it was yesterday."

"Sorry again about Flurry's magic," Shining Armor apologized. "Ever since she sneezed yesterday and caused you to crash, she's been using her magic nonstop. Though occasionally for large blasts, it's more for picking everything and everypony off the ground."

"Sounds like it's pretty dangerous to have Flurry doing stuff like that," Pharynx frowned. "Isn't there some sort of spell to keep it contained until she can use it right?"

"We've tried everything," Twilight replied sadly. "Any disabling or containing spell we try, she breaks it almost on the spot when she starts getting mad or upset; Flurry seems to have enough power to break through them all just with sheer force of will!"

Something crashed outside the hospital, along with a large, golden beam of light flying by.

"That's probably Flurry Heart again," Rainbow cringed. "We'd better go and help Cadence with that. It looks a lot worse than last time it happened."

"Last time?" the Bat pony echoed, suddenly nervous.

"Long story," Starlight cringed, ears tilting back. "We'll come back when Flurry's finally settled down. Thorax, you should stay here with Echo and Pharynx. Things look like they'll get ugly pretty fast."

"I'm coming, too," Spike nodded as he left with the others. "You'll need the Great and Honorable Spike the Brave and Glorious to help reassure the Crystal ponies."

Thorax rolled his eyes with a smile before turning back to his brother and new friend. "So, do you two feel any better after yesterday?"

"I'm still rather sore in the back and the wing, and there's the occasional minor headache, but it's nothing too bad," Echo replied, despite the subtle shake in her voice. "But my hoof seems to be fine now."

"Good to hear. And what about you, Pharynx?" Thorax asked his brother.

"Meh. Same as her, though my wing still feels like it got chopped off," he grunted.

Thorax chuckled nervously as his ears tilted back. "Careful what you say around here, Pharynx. This sure isn't like the Hive."

"They're obviously still okay with you being around, Thorax," Echo countered. "None of them even looked twice at you."

"Well, Spike actually first introduced me as a friend here in the Crystal Empire," Thorax explained.

"Oh, so you disappeared into the frozen north after the failed attack on Canterlot," Pharynx realized. "No wonder I couldn't find you back at the kingdom." He expected to fall back against the pillow, but instead hit the headboard, yelping in pain as he rubbed the back of his head.

"That probably wasn't such a good idea to do with a concussion, Pharynx," Echo smirked playfully. "The nurse said to rest while your head healed."

"Be quiet," Pharynx growled, voice lacking its usual sharpness. "You're just gloating because you didn't get hit in the head as badly as I was."

"What do you think you're doing?!" a small, angry voice shouted from outside. Echo's ear twitched, eyes widening in fear. "I didn't come all the way here with my new friends to watch a pony younger than I am cause more trouble than she's worth! From what I've heard, you're the squirt that hurt Echo and that Changeling's brother! That's not a good thing in my book!"

"I know that voice," the Bat princess breathed before using her magic to open the curtains. Outside, there was Flurry Heart hovering in the air, Twilight and her friends in the clutch of her magic. The only pony facing her down was a red unicorn filly, horn blazing dark blue with fury as the Cutie Mark Crusaders stood behind her.

Echo's eyes narrowed. "That's Hemlock Berry, one of the orphans I used to care for. Her magic specializes in manipulating poisonous plants. And if I remember right, those three with her are Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo: basically the younger sisters to Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash."

"They looks pretty mad," Thorax cringed. "I would be, too, if I saw Pharynx and the other Changelings held captive like that."

"Hemlock has always had a dangerously short temper," Echo explained. "If she doesn't know you, one wrong move with her could mean being strung up by your hooves in toxic plants."

"Let. Them. _Go._ " Hemlock told the Alicorn filly. Flurry only giggled and played with her captives. "I said let them GO!" With a stomp of her hooves, Hemlock shot a beam at the infant, causing some of the crystal berries around her to break out in vines. The leafy tendrils reached out and grabbed Flurry's wings and horn, disabling her magic and releasing Twilight and the others.

Flurry Heart let out a raucous cry and thrashed in the vines until she got her horn free. In mere seconds, her horn turned gold and shot a _very_ powerful-looking beam at the filly. Before any of them blinked, the beam blasted the ground in front of the fillies.

Echo's eyes widened in horror. "Girls, no!"

* * *

 **Shadowgeist:** After having complete writer's block on this story for who-knows-how-long, ( _So_ sorry, BTW) I finally managed to finish a chapter. Sometimes my fanfiction-writing brain has so many ideas it forgets about other fandoms (Sorry 'bout that, too).


	7. Chapter 7

By the time the smoke cleared, the four fillies that were at the impact site were nowhere to be seen. The vines were gone, and Flurry was waving the ponies around with her magic more vigorously than ever. Her captives cried out in pain under the unnaturally strong magic pressure from the baby who was holding them prisoner.

Echo was holding back tears when a light flashed in the room she and the Changeling brothers were in. Standing at the doorway was a certain draconequus, the four fillies in a net he held in his lion paw.

"Thank goodness I followed these little ones out of Ponyville," Discord remarked as he dropped the net. "No need to thank me, Bat princess."

Hemlock and the Cutie Mark Crusaders ran up to the Bat alicorn. Echo sighed in relief as she embraced them. "I'm just glad they're safe, Discord. But now you have to go save Twilight and the others."

"I intend to," Discord grinned. In a flash of light, he teleported back outside, now in knight's armor and astride a winged pig. "Be prepared, young devil! This is for Fluttershy!" A lance appeared in his claw and a shield in his paw as he rode up to Flurry Heart, copies of himself appearing all over the street.

"Think he's in love with Fluttershy?" Applebloom asked the other fillies. "'Cause I sure do."

"Oh yeah, definitely," Scootaloo agreed as the others nodded.

The second all the lances touched Flurry Heart, a birdcage formed around her, a metal shell clasping over her horn to cancel out her magic. The clones caught the stunned ponies (and dragon) and laid them gently on the ground before all but the real Discord vanished. Flurry Heart kicked around inside the cage, trying to break it with her magic to no avail.

Discord looked over his work with approval. He whistled into the Crystal Palace. "Guards! Can you be good friends and help get these poor ponies back inside? Make sure to keep their little... _assailant_ under control as well."

* * *

Once everypony was brought inside, the doctors were doing what they could to keep the injured ponies comfortable. Just about everypony who confronted Flurry was still a little jarred after being tossed around like a bunch of dolls. Most of them showed extreme strain along the back and ribs, and quite a few had their wind touched. Anypony who could was helping, just as long as Echo and Pharynx weren't flying.

"We should all be thankful that everypony got out of there in one piece," Sunburst added while tending to Starlight. "The magic pressure coming off of Flurry Heart could have easily broken a few ribs. And I wouldn't be surprised if a few came out with strained wing muscles."

"I'm glad that you came to our rescue, Discord," Fluttershy thanked the draconequus that was curled around her affectionately.

"You know I'm always one to appear at the last minute," Discord chuckled. "But you should really use metal imbued with a disabling spell if nothing else works on Flurry Heart. It should be more than enough to keep her magic the same as any other infant unicorn _._ "

"That actually did cross my mind," Twilight admitted. "But we were all worried it would cause untold harm to Flurry. Though now we see that it was a bad idea _not_ to consider it. How'd you even know about it?"

Discord snapped his claw to make a book appear. "I normally visit your library whenever you're not around and there's nothing else to do. Somepony simply didn't read the fine print about magically-imbued metal. Ahem. 'For the very rare possibility that an infant unicorn or alicorn has far more power than normal, using enchanted metal is the best way to keep his or her magic the same level as others of their age.' It was hidden at the bottom of the page, so I'm glad I saw it before I came to the rescue."

"And you silly fillies had all' us worried sick," Applejack chided the fillies as Applebloom put an ice pack on her back. "What were y'all thinkin', tryin' to stand off against Flurry Heart?"

"That nopony, no matter how young, messes with our sisters," Sweetie Belle answered sharply. "Hemlock and I were more than ready to fire off everything we had to make her let go of all of you, and she did. For a little bit..."

"You still had us all worried, though," Echo replied sternly.

"Remember, she made tissue paper out of my wing after she sneezed," Pharynx added. "And that was accidental. Just think how bad it could've been if she got you at full-force."

"That is a pretty good point," Scootaloo admitted. "But we still would've done anything to save you from Flurry Heart. She is still only half our size, after all."

"A pony's size doesn't exactly determine her power, you know," Starlight pointed out. "Most baby unicorns Flurry's age can only do levitation spells for a few things at a time. She's an alicorn, and can easily levitate a lot more things over a far longer radius."

"After a couple of days or so, we'll probably be good enough to head back to Ponyville," Twilight presumed. "That includes you too, Echo and Pharynx. You'll probably just have to stay off your wings for the rest of the week, and you'll be clear for flying again."

Thorax nodded in agreement. "Changeling injuries heal pretty quickly anyway. Things will be back to normal in no time."

Pharynx frowned and looked at his wing. The shattered wingcase looked almost completely back to normal, and his wing was knitting back together quite nicely as well. "We can only hope we don't have to take another hit."

Echo giggled, making the teal Changeling blush. "Given Discord's idea that actually worked to keep Flurry under wraps, I'm sure things will turn out fine."


	8. Chapter 8

It took a bit longer than Twilight had thought for everypony to be deemed well enough to go back to Ponyville. All the fliers except for Thorax and Discord still had injured/extremely strained wings. All those who Flurry had used as ragdolls in her little outburst also found it painful to move or walk as well. Even after the week was out, the doctors said it would take almost another week for everypony to be fully healed.

Celestia and Luna decided to drop by the Crystal Empire to see how they were. Luna told Echo that Silent Sound had nearly panicked when Hemlock disappeared, and the proof was in the filly's worst-case-scenario nightmares. She, the Apples, Rarity and Sweetie's parents, Rainbow's parents, and even Fluttershy's animals were terrified for everypony. (And the princesses were pretty sure the Changelings were also worried about Thorax and Pharynx.)

Thankfully, everypony who was worried about the visitors in the Crystal Empire was assured they were safe. Flurry didn't cause any trouble with the magic-infused metal coating her horn, and was only powerful enough to levitate her stuffed toys and maybe drag Shining Armor over to her by the tail. Sadly, there was still something that had Echo concerned.

"What? You've been having nightmares all week?" Luna asked the Bat princess in shock one night.

Echo nodded slowly, light purple eyes gleaming in the moon from the window of her room. "I suppose hearing about what had happened to Pharynx brought up the time when I had to... kill Velvet Tear and Crimson Ice. They may have hurt me and the other orphans as long as I can remember, but I always keep having nightmares of being on the other end of the fatal beam."

Luna wrapped a wing around the fellow nocturnal princess. "You needn't worry. Though your nightmares certainly sound chilling, it only proves that you aren't willing to kill anypony unless absolutely necessary. You saved many young orphaned ponies. I will keep a close eye on your dreams until this apparent trigger has passed."

Echo smiled in gratitude. "Thanks, Luna. I'm glad to always have a friend and fellow night princess like you."

Luna returned the smile, nodding in agreement. "And I wish you pleasant dreams as always."

* * *

Echo went strolling through the more forest-like areas of the kingdom. She had been cooped up inside sleeping through the night all too often. The fresh air was a welcome change to the Bat Princess. While she was still a little sore in the wing, she was glad the aftermath of the minor head injury was gone. _Now I can actually be nocturnal again,_ she grinned to herself, humming her song happily.

Her ear twitched in the direction before she stopped humming and moving. She turned around and glared at a certain crystal spire. "Alright, that kind of noise level makes me think you're not even trying to be stealthy."

The spire lit up in green flames before a fawn-in-the-spotlight scared Pharynx appeared in place of the spire. At this point, the cracks of his broken wing-case and wing had disappeared completely, the joints almost fully healed. "I... just wanted to listen to you sing... and noticed you're really good at it... and pretty, heh..."

Echo stifled a laugh at the flustered teal Changeling. "You don't need to be so nervous. Walk with me."

Pharynx's ears pricked as a raspberry-colored flush covered his muzzle. When Echo looked looked at him with a wry smile, he cleared his throat and cantered up to her, walking alongside her.

"So, uh... I noticed that you and Princess Luna are awfully close," he attempted to start a conversation.

Echo giggled. "Well, she was technically the first alicorn I met after we escaped the orphanage. It was even before I found out about the spell hiding my Bat nature." She noticed the moon suddenly shift its position, as if it were becoming a spotlight for the dark-colored pair. "Speaking of Luna, it appears that she's up to something."

"I'd usually go for a moonlit flight back at the Hive," Pharynx mused, flaring out his wings. "Well, more like a training session, but still moonlit."

Echo nodded in agreement. She caught herself almost staring at how the light refracted off his shiny armor and horns, glassy wings, and accented the jewels on his throat. The moon also lit up the pale webbing of her wings, catching on her jewelery and catching Pharynx's eyes. "Maybe we'd be able to go on a moonlit flight when we next see each other."

Pharynx blushed at the thought before something else found his sense of smell. "What's that smell?" he asked. "Smells like some sort of fruit."

Echo sniffed the air. "You're right. I think it's coming from the other side of that thicket." She trotted over to the cluster of bushes when she noticed the purple clusters within the tropical green foliage. "Or should I say, it's coming from the thicket _itself._ "

Pharynx eyed the clusters with keen interest, sniffing them before hesitantly picking one off and eating it. "Hey, not bad," he grinned. "These must be the famous crystal berries only found here."

Echo plucked a cluster of berries with her magic and popped one in her mouth. "Yeah, these are pretty tasty. No wonder the Crystal ponies make so many kinds of sweets with these berries. I hear AJ's going to bring some of these to Ponyville when we're able to head home."

"Maybe Thorax and I can bring some to the Hive," Pharynx mused, munching on more berries. "And you can bring some to your kingdom. We'd be able to grow these berries."

Echo hummed thoughtfully as she polished off her cluster. "That might work, if the berries are able to grow outside the Crystal Empire. Maybe we can give it a try." She plucked off two small clusters and gave one to Pharynx. "I hear it takes two moons to grow, so we'll take that time when we're able to go home. If they grow in either of our kingdoms, we can tell one another about it. Deal?" She held out a hoof to shake.

Pharynx grinned and shook hooves with her. "Deal."


	9. Chapter 9

The next morning was when everypony was heading back to Ponyville on the train. Echo looked very drowsy that morning, and often covered her head with her wing when she was in the sun. Twilight was sure to give the group a quick reminder not to be too loud around the nocturnal mare, as it would stress her out even more than being out in the daylight.

It wasn't very surprising that she fell asleep on the train.

Pharynx was sitting next to her window seat, making sure the blind were down so she was shaded from the bright morning sun. He had a wing over her sleeping form as extra coverage, taking care not to wake her up. He blushed and smiled at her peaceful face and quiet snoring. He nearly panicked when he noticed Hemlock giving him a side-eye, waving in nervous politeness. The red filly huffed and looked back out her window.

"That's actually a good thing coming from Hemlock," Starlight whispered from the row in front. "First time we met her, she conjured a hemlock tree to grab us. Whatever was done to her in the Nightmare Orphanage had caused her a lasting aggressive temper."

Pharynx cringed and glanced back at the brooding, scarred filly. He whispered back, "Skimmer and Hairstreak told us that Echo's right-hand filly had a blazing temper. They only told us her name was Hemlock. We didn't know who Hemlock _was_ until Echo herself pointed her out."

Starlight hummed and looked down at the sleeping Bat alicorn. "She was a mother to the orphans, that's for sure."

* * *

Pharynx led the half-asleep mare off of the train when they stopped in Ponyville. Twilight, her friends, and Thorax went to the purple alicorn's castle. Hemlock and the Cutie Mark Crusaders returned to their homes and the Ponyville orphanage respectively. Two exhausted-looking Bat guards were at the entrance to the Everfree Forest. Pharynx led the Bat princess to them, her head resting against his withers. (He tried not to think about one of her soft, leathery wings pressed against his side.)

"Princess Echo," one of the guards sighed in relief. "Thank goodness you're safe. Princess Luna told us of the incident in the Crystal Empire. And I'm guessing you were the other victim of said incident," he added to the Changeling.

"Yeah; the name's Pharynx," he nodded. "Your princess is still a little tired, so I'll help you lead her back. She seems a lot bigger than you two, and you two are just as tired as she is."

The guards nodded with a look of relief. "Thank you, Pharynx," the other guard smiled. "Follow us."

The guards led Pharynx, half-carrying the Bat princess, down the path in the Everfree Forest. They ended at the large, dark-colored Bat Palace, where many more guards were waiting. The guards who led him there told the others of the situation, and they allowed them inside. Pharynx gave a few of the crystal berries he and Echo gathered to the royal gardener, saying that he should keep an especially close eye on any plants that grow from them. The gardener agreed, looking excited about the new plants that might grow.

The guards who led him there, who he now knew as Nocturne and Requiem, led him to the princess' bedroom. It wasn't nearly as lavish as Pharynx expected. It had a midnight purple carpet along the floor, reddish-purple drapes on the windows, a fur-lined cape hung on the wall, and thin silver vein designs along the midnight blue walls.

Pharynx gently brought Echo to the large bed, using his magic. He also removed her leg-rings and crown, stacking them on the painted black side-table. The Bat princess drifted off the second she was under the dark red covers. He chuckled watching her nestle in.

"Here's hoping you'll be more awake next time I see you," he murmured as he left the bedroom. He nodded to Nocturne and Requiem when he got back to the courtyard to tell them all is well. They both sighed in relief and bid him goodbye as he flew back to Ponyville.

* * *

Thorax was waiting back at Twilight's castle as Pharynx got back. "So, how did it go with Echo?"

That tone and question wasn't what the teal Changeling wanted to hear from his brother. He laid back his ears as he growled, "She was more than half-asleep _before_ we got to Ponyville. There wasn't much to do besides get her home and put her to bed."

Thorax's ears flopped. "Oh well. Better luck next time, I guess. At least I found enough time to tell Starlight Glimmer about the whole thing while you were tucking in your princess. Don't worry, I made her promise to keep it secret. Got a hint on your next interaction?"

"It's an experiment in growing plants," he quipped, ears tilting back. "We'll update each other about that in two moons at the earliest. Nothing about anything else."

The larger Changeling shrugged. "Suit yourself. Still, whenever you have any free time from training new recruits to defend the Hive, you might as well see how you can 'move things along,' _per se_. And don't forget, your big younger brother is always there to give you some advice." Thorax winked.

Pharynx deadpanned. "And what do _you_ know about that kind of love?"

Thorax stopped as his brother rolled his eyes and took off. He snapped out of it and flew after him. "Alright, alright! Touché on that! Just wait for me!"

Starlight chuckled as she and Spike watched the two Changeling brothers fly off. "Wow. Wonder what's gotten Thorax's brother all bent out of shape," the young dragon wondered.

Starlight shrugged, "No clue. Might as well get back to the castle. See what's happened since the whole issue of Flurry Heart's little tantrum." _And ever since Pharynx suddenly started crushing on Echo. I hope Hemlock will be able to keep from stringing him by the wings when that comes out._


End file.
